Always hungry!

Options
m287668
m287668 Posts: 13 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I've set up my profile to load .5lbs were week - so very reasonable. I'm on a 1500 calorie diet before adding in any extra for exercise. I've been losing weight but I'm hungry almost ALL the time! I eat 0 empty calories, lots of protein and fiber, and I try to distribute calories fairly evenly across the day.

Is this normal? Fortunately, I only have another 4-5 pounds to go to reach my goal weight but I also don't want my metabolism to slow down as a result of decreased calorie intake. Would be interested in other's experience with this and any suggestions. Again, please don't tell me to increase protein and fiber - I'm already there! Thanks in advance!

Replies

  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,069 Member
    Options
    Tried playing around with your macros at all? Protein may not be the thing that satiates you as much, as long as you're getting the minimum requirements for Protein & Fat your macros are a totally individual thing, maybe try higher fat or carbs.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    Options
    What @kommodevaran said.
  • m287668
    m287668 Posts: 13 Member
    edited February 2018
    Options
    Thanks for the info! I think some of the perceived hunger may be boredom (particularly when I'm sitting in front of my computer for work) but some of it is genuine hunger - I did lay in bed last night looking forward to waking up so I can eat breakfast. I'll read up on ideal macro ratios - I do go pretty high on fat but I did find a sweet potato to be very satiating so maybe some more carbs would help.
  • DX2JX2
    DX2JX2 Posts: 1,921 Member
    Options
    It's normal to 'always' be hungry when eating at a deficit but you'll find that most of it is more of a mental thing than physical.

    Keep some healthy low cal snacks around (celery, popcorn, etc.) or other snacks that make it easy to quickly grab a couple (raw almonds, etc.) every now and then to occupy you for a while.
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,069 Member
    Options
    DX2JX2 wrote: »
    It's normal to 'always' be hungry when eating at a deficit but you'll find that most of it is more of a mental thing than physical.

    Keep some healthy low cal snacks around (celery, popcorn, etc.) or other snacks that make it easy to quickly grab a couple (raw almonds, etc.) every now and then to occupy you for a while.

    I think maybe think this should be changed to it is normal for some people to feel hungry when in a deficit. I don't always feel hungry and I've been in 500-700 calorie deficit for the majority of the last 14 months.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    Options
    m287668 wrote: »
    some of it is genuine hunger - I did lay in bed last night looking forward to waking up so I can eat breakfast.
    It's not normal to feel full all the time. Most of the time you're supposed to feel "empty". I often feel hungry when I go to bed too, and look forward to breakfast. I'm fine. So I think you have to ask yourself, does it bother you? Have you checked out the hunger scale? Is your defcit too steep? Are you aiming for a too low BMI?
  • DX2JX2
    DX2JX2 Posts: 1,921 Member
    Options
    tinkerbellang83 wrote: »
    DX2JX2 wrote: »
    It's normal to 'always' be hungry when eating at a deficit but you'll find that most of it is more of a mental thing than physical.

    Keep some healthy low cal snacks around (celery, popcorn, etc.) or other snacks that make it easy to quickly grab a couple (raw almonds, etc.) every now and then to occupy you for a while.

    I think maybe think this should be changed to it is normal for some people to feel hungry when in a deficit. I don't always feel hungry and I've been in 500-700 calorie deficit for the majority of the last 14 months.

    Right, but the fact that it's normal for some people means that it can be called normal. OP seems to be one of those people, as am I. The basic message is that it's nothing to be too worried about and that most of the time what we experience as hunger is really boredom.
  • fiddletime
    fiddletime Posts: 1,862 Member
    Options
    I once woke up at 3 am with my stomach grumbling with hunger. That was before MFP and I was just crash dieting losin a pound a week straight to goal (and promptly gained it back).

    I often feel empty now, but not genuinely hungry. But I prefer that happy slightly full feel. Oh well.
  • StarBrightStarBright
    StarBrightStarBright Posts: 97 Member
    Options
    I don't know your height/weight, but did want to say that it can be possible to just be hungry. I'm 5'5 (not quite 5'6") and maintain at somewhere between 1400-1500 calories a day. I'm rarely starving, but often still a little bit hungry at the end of the day.

    I really love a glass of wine with dinner, but some days have to forgo it to actually get more solid food in me. It is what it is.
  • HoneyBadger302
    HoneyBadger302 Posts: 1,992 Member
    Options
    I was struggling with this as well (always being hungry), but I know I'm a bored eater. Sitting in front of a computer all day 5 days a week was just all bad.

    I've actually been re-teaching myself to fidget more. This gives me something to do and helps take my mind of my stomach. Plus, hey, burn a few extra calories while I'm at it (no, it's not enough to make a real difference). Also making use of my standing desk more and doing little calf raises and working on balance on my "bad" leg. Seems to help with the "hungry" part at least for awhile!

    That being said, I have a friend who've very fit and has been at her goal for several years now, and she is "always" hungry as well, but if she eats more, she starts to gain weight, so it's just something she has adapted to.

    Well timed snacks can help keep it from becoming overpowering. Increased workouts allow me to eat enough to not feel like I'm suffering through the day.

Categories